Restaurant Review: Hawaiian Bar-B-Que

We finally got the chance to avail the voucher we purchased last year which was an overnight stay in a resort in Batangas. But prior to going to the resort, Jeff, Joie, Boyet and I decided to have a quick stop at Tagaytay for some gastronomic delight. We were supposed to go back to The Cliffhouse but I thought of one place which Joie once said in passing. She told me before that she wanted to stay at The Boutique Bed and Breakfast. Since we couldn’t stay there at that time, I suggested we try their restaurant – Hawaiian Bar-B-Que.

The Boutique Bed and Breakfast is just a couple of establishments away from Pamana Restaurant. We got a glimpse of the hotel’s reception area which you need to pass by in order to get to the restaurant. Chandeliers, mirrors and huge furniture made the place look more elegant.

The monochromatic, minimalistic interior of Hawaiian Bar-B-Que is very inviting. We wanted to take the outdoor seats to have Taal Lake as our backdrop but it started to rain. I don’t think Taal Volcano has changed since the last time we came there two months ago. :p

While checking out their menu, I found out that Hawaiian Bar-B-Que is also owned by the Ongpaucos, the same family who owns Pamana and many other restaurant chains.

It took us a while dissecting every dish from the menu. There were debates here and there. Even when the waiter came to take our orders, we still didn’t stop discussing.

To start off, perfect for that weekend drizzle is a bowl of hot soup. The waiter confirmed that their serving is enough for four people so we went ahead and got their Hawaiian Coco Chicken Soup. Our eyeballs almost dropped when we saw the waiter battling his way to our table as he holds a very big bowl of soup while trying to maintain his balance. I wanted to ask him, “Kuya, san ka maglalaba?!”

Hawaiian Coco Chicken Soup PHP325

Since there is “coco”, which is short for coconut in the name of the dish, I was expecting its taste to be quite similar to binakol. But as also noticed by Joie, it tastes more like the usual chicken macaroni soup, a.k.a SOPAS. The main difference though is that it’s more buttery, too buttery actually. But then again, it’s tasty and perfect for the gloomy weather.

Aside from the usual plain and garlic rice, the restaurant also offers Pineapple BBQ Chicken Fried Rice and Golden Corn Rice. But we all agreed to have Spam Fried Rice.

With its bright red color, I was anticipating the rice to have very strong flavors. I was thinking it would either be too sweet or too sour. But it isn’t which is a good thing as I wanted the fried rice to give way to the flavors of all the other dishes we got.

Spam Fried Rice PHP220

Choosing an appetizer was excruciating, in a good way of course. There are a lot to choose from and we couldn’t decide what to get. I was already eyeing the chicken wings on the menu. But I wasn’t sure whether they were up to a spicy start. Among the four of us, I think I have the strongest tolerance with spicy food. Or should I say I am the only one who loves spicy food?

Volcanic Wings PHP245

Deep-fried chicken wings are topped with chopped chilies. I took a bite and got frustrated because the heat was too mild for my tongue which is used to extreme spiciness. But when I dunked it in the gravy, that was when the fiery flavors came out.

I begged them to include one vegetable dish, but nobody reacted. Nobody disagreed either so I went ahead and got this.

Herbed Cheese Asparagus PHP190

I love asparagus. I can’t understand why a lot of people like Boyet and Joie don’t like it. I’m guessing it’s because of the hint of bitterness, but the creamy cheese topping concealed this unwanted aftertaste. The cheese is so good! I think they can have Herbed Cheese Ampalaya or Herbed Cheese Okra and both will still taste so good!

Hawaiian Bar-B-Que brags that they serve the best ribs in town. Of course, we didn’t let our chance pass without testing their claim. We initially planned on getting the large serving of Sam Choy’s Hot and Spicy Ribs. But since we added Hawaiian Coco Chicken Soup at the last minute, we had it changed to medium serving. When it was served to us, everybody sighed in disbelief. We all exclaimed, “MEDIUM LANG TO???”

Sam Choy’s Hot & Spicy Ribs (Medium) PHP550

The angle of my shot probably does not give justice to what I’m saying, but the serving was really big. If you’re used to getting ribs in Manila with the size of a matured banana, then Sam Choy’s is certainly a bombshell.

The meat is very tender that I can easily fork it out from the bones. The very little amount of fat enhanced the rich flavors of the meat. The meat has the right amount of sweetness and spicy zest. To jazz up the ribs even more, a plunge of the meat to the rich barbeque sauce will do it.

We were beginning to get full when we realized that we’re still waiting for one more dish. And when it was served, we doubted if we could finish everything.

Tropical Seafood Platter PHP695

The shrimp and squid both had mild sweetness which is a sign of freshness. Everything was perfectly-cooked. Serving is obviously generous. Lahat yata ng lamang-dagat present na! Ok fine, walang lobster at shark!

The seafood platter comes with three different sauces. Whether your tongue yearns for something sweet, sour, salty or spicy, your needs will be catered by the different sauces.

We underestimated the food serving so we ended up worrying for the leftovers. We were aware that there’s no refrigerator on our next destination so we made sure that we leave the table “clean”. Oh, I have proof that we succeeded with our mission.